Corn harvester and shocker.



No. 632,648. Patented Sept. 5, |899. N. DENNING.

CORN HARVESTER AND SHOGKER.

(Application filed. July 15, 1898.) .N0 Model.) 4 Sheets--Sheet i@N/nemen I f E m I d bi1 crtomut tu: Nonms PETERS co.. wmou'rnc.,wAsnmoYoN. n. c.

Patented Sept. 5, i899.

N. DENNING.

CUBN HARVESTER AND SHDCKER.

(Application led. July 15, 1898.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2l (No Model.)A

A m a M M M Ncnms PErERs co wom-umol. wAsnmmon'. oy c.

Patented Sept. 5, |899.. N. DENNING.

CORN HARVESTER AND SHOCKER.

(Application filed July 15, 1898.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3,

.No Model.)

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/Vwozein l jhu. duo HQ Patented Sept. 5, |899. N. DENNING.

CORN HARVESTER AND SHCKER.

(Application filed July 15, 1898.;

4 Sheets-Sheet 4,

'No Model.)

y IIIIHIIIIHI!|llllllllllllllllllllllm" @witnesses l NiTi-n STATESPATENT Fries.

NEWTON DENNING, OF HUTOHINSON, KANSAS. o

CORN HARVESTER AND SHOCKR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,648, datedSeptember 5, 1899. Appiimion nea July 15. 189s. serrano. 686,021.(romana To all whom, rit 72mg/ concern: V

Be it known that LNEWTON DENNING,a citizen of the United States,residing at Hutchinson, in the county of Reno and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn Harvesters andShockers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to corn harvesters and shockers and it consistsof the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be more fullyhereinafter` described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to expedite the operations of cutting andshocking corn or analogous growths and dispense with the tedious expenseof laborand time usually required in hand cutting and binding and alsoto materially reduce the number of persons ordinarily employed topractically and effectually perform such operations.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of a cornharvester and shocker embodying the invention and having a part removedand shown to one side of the main figure. Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing the parts arranged to deliver the shock at one side of themachine. Fig. 3 isa longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 4 is atransverse vertical section on the line 2 2, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detailperspective view of one of the gears for supporting one of thecutting-disks. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of thecutting-disks shown inverted. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective View of thebinding-block.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar numerals are used to indicatecorresponding parts in the several views, the numeral 1 designates aframe composed of parallel side beams 2, connected at front and rear bycrossbeams 3 and 4 and also by intermediate beams 5 and 6. The said sideand intermediate beams form supports for the dierent mechanisms, andmounted in suitable bearings in the beams 2 is an axle'7, which islocated nearer the rear portion of the frame and between the cross-beams4 and 6. The outer ends of the axle project beyond the beams 2 asuitable distance and have thereon groundwheels 8 of proper diameter andtread. The ground-Wheels run loose on the axle and to the inner portionsof the hubs thereof have clutch members or analogous gripping devicessecured to engage the outer portions of clutch-disks on the axle, whichwill be readily understood, and whereby the said wheels can run freelyin a rearward direction and permit the machine to be turned or backedwithout operating the cutting mechanism. On the axle a beveled gear 10is keyed and meshes with a beveled pinion 11 on the rear end cfa shaft12, running longitudinally of the frame,

a little to one side of the center, so that the',

gear will not come in contact with the stubs over which the machinepasses. The shaft 12 has bearing in the two intermediate crossbeams 5and G, and on the front end, immediately in advance of the beam 5,another beveled pinion 13 is xed to rotate with said shaft.

Between the front cross-beam 3 and the adjacent intermediate cross-beam5 a countershaft 14 is located'and journaled at opposite ends in theside beams 2. On this countershaft a beveled pinion 15 is secured, whichtransmits motion from the pinion 13 on the shaft 12, and on oppositesides of said pinion 15 clutch-sleeves 16 are feathered on the shaft 14,and at their outer ends have beveled gearheads 17, which are thrown intoand out of connection with horizontally-disposed opposite beveledpinions 1S on short vertical shafts 19, mounted in suitable bearings onthe adjacent inner portions of the side beams 2. The said sleeves areshifted by levers 20, having portions engaging adjacent clutches andvertical stems supported by and journaled in an arched brace 21,fastened at opposite ends to the front cross-beam 3. These levers areadapted to be operated by any preferred form of device, such as ahand-bar, crank, or analogous implement. The shafts 19 extend above theupper surface of the frame l a short distance, and the upper face ofeach of the pinions 18 is provided with a series of projections 21,which are fitted in corresponding sockets 22 on the under side of acutting-disk 23, fitted over the said shafts ICO 19 in each instance.Each of the said cutting-disks has aseries of notches therein to formteeth having sharp edges and adapted to cut the stalks as they arebrought in line therewith. 1

In advance of the ground-wheels and attached to the outer portions ofthe side beams 2 are supporting-rails 24, having their upper edgeson alevel with the adjacent top edges of said side beams. Secured to theside beams 2, adjacent the front ends of the same and extending over andalso attached to the said supporting rails 24, are oppositecuttingplates 25, lying directly under the cuttingdisks 23 and havingat, their front edges V- shaped recesses 26, which are open at the frontand have their opposite walls sharpened to provide throats, which areplaced in alinement with the row of corn to be cut.

Over each of the cutting-disks and cuttingplates a cover-plate 27 ismounted and has an opening 28 therethrough, which is fitted overthe'projecting end of the shaft 19, the outer edge of the cover-platealining with the outer edge of the cutting-plate, and at the front thesaid cover-plate is formed with a substantially V-shaped recess 29, withits opposite walls sharpened and adapted to coincide with the recess 26in the said cutting-plate. These cover-plates shield and lprotect thecuttingdisks, but do not interfere with the free rotation thereof byinstituting any undue friction and may be removed at any time to reachthe cutting-disks and the parts below for any purpose that may bedesired.

Over each of the cover-plates and the parts beneath a guard 30 ismounted consisting of opposite rods 31, having rear vertical portionssecured to the top edges of the side beams 2 and the supporting-rails24, and from the upper terminations of the said vertical portions therods gradually slope downwardly toward the front and are continued inthe form of forwardly-proj ectin g fingers 32 in advance of the frontends of the said side beams and rails and so positioned as to conductthe cornstalks to the cutting apparatus. After a severing operation hasensued the said stalks are held upright between the opposite parts ofthe guard and can be freely drawn through the rear part of the latter.In rear of the guards and extending transversely across the frame 1 is aplatform 33 to serve as a foothold for an operator and also to stand thecut stalks thereon for the purpose of shocking the same in a mannerwhich will be presently described.

To the front of the frame 1 an arched axle der the front cross-beam 3.To said axle a tongue 36 is connected and has thereon suitable draftdevices 37. All the geared mechanism is shielded or boxed on the underside to prevent injury thereto, and likewise, if

found practicable, it may be covered at the top.

In the rear cross-beam 4 a suitable socket is formed to receive thelower stepped end of an upright or post 38, having an upper reduced end39, over which is movably mounted a metallic collar 40, provided with abaseiiange, to opposite portions of which staysor braces 41 are securedat their upper ends and also at their lower ends to different parts ofthe frame. The post or upright- 38 is intended to be constructed of woodof a hard nature and has free rotatable movement within the confines ofthe stays or braces 41. The rear end of a horizontal arm 42 is connectedto the post or upright38, near the upperend thereof, said arm also beingmade of wood and reinforced to sustain considerable Weight by an obliquebrace 43, attached thereto, and an adjacent portion of the said post orupright. In a slot in the outer end of the arm 42 a sheave or pulley 44is rotatably mounted, and in the post or upright 38, just above thepoint where the brace 43 is attached thereto, a slot is also formed torotatably receive the sheave or pulley 45. Also securedv to the post orupright 38 and projecting therefrom is a short arm 46, upon which asmall windlass 47 is rotatably mounted,having attached to one endthereof a ratchet-wheel 48 and operated through the. medium of acrank-handle 49. On one side of the said short arm 46 a pawl 50 ispivotally mounted and adapted t0- engage the ratchet-wheel 48 to sustainthe adjustment of said windlass, and running from the latter over thesheave or pulley 45 and also the sheave or pulley 44 is a rope, cable,or analogous device 51, which depends from'the said sheave or pulley 44and is loosely attached to the upper portions of hooks 52, having alsoinwardly-projectinghorizontal ends 53, which are freely adjustable andare applied to opposite portions of a shock when completed.

Adj ustably mounted on the post or upright 38 is a support 54, extendingforwardly and having a'rear slotted end to embrace the said post orupright. Vertically-alined ratchetteeth 55 are located on the lowerfront portion of the post or upright, and to the under side of the saidsupport`54 a brace 56 is movably attached and has a lower reduced endadapted to engage the said ratchet-teeth and hold the said support 54 ata proper elevation relatively to the length of the cornstalks from whichthe shock is formed. The support 54 is held in connection with the postor upright 38 by a metallic band 57, attached to the rear end andextending across the rear portion of said post or upright, and at itsfront end the support has a metallic bow or former 58 secured thereto,which is of such curvature as to accommodate the formation of shocks ofvarying diameters.

Removably mounted on the support 54 is a binding-block 59, which isattached by links',l

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60 at the rear end, engaging suitable connecting devices on the saidsupport. An opening 6l is formed in the front portion of the said block,and at the extreme outer part thereof a pulley 62 is mounted. The saidopening 6l communicates with a slot or recess 63 in the top of the saidblock, in which a smaller windlass 64 is mounted and has attached to oneend thereof a ratchet-wheel 65, which is engaged by a pawl 66 on theadjacent side of the block. A crank-handle 66a is connected to thewindlass for operating the same, and surrounding said windlass is abinding rope, ca-

ble, or analogous device 67, which passes out wardly through the opening6l over the pulley 62 and has a link 68 at the rear end thereof, whichis thrown over the hook 69 when binding the shock before it is deliveredfrom the machine.

In operation one side of the machine is placed in alinement with the rowof cornstalks to be cut, and in the progress of the same the stalks aredirected through the guard at that side to the cutting devices and irstforced into the recesses 26 and 29 in the plates 25 an 27, respectively,and the rotating cutting-disk severs each stalk with a clean out, and asit is severed it passes over the coverplate between the oppositeportions of the guard and is caught by the operator standing on theplatform 33, who places the cut stalks in the bow or former 58, andafter enough have been gathered to form a shock the binding-rope 67 isthrown around the said completed shock and the link on the end of saidrope attached to its hook on the bindingblock. The crank-handle 66a isthen rotated to wind the binding-rope on the windlass 64, and thetension is sustained through the ratchet and pawl devices coacting withsaid windlass. The hooks 52 are then applied to the bound shock, and thelatter is then lifted by operating the windlass 47 through the medium ofthe rope, cable, or analogous device 5l, and the crane, as formed by theupright or post 3S and the arm 42, is swung to one side and the saidrope, cable, or analogous device 5l is slackened sufficiently to permitthe shock to be rested on the ground. At the same time the binding-block59 is disconnected from the support 54 to keep the binding-rope 67 inplace, and after the shock is so positioned the binding-twine or othermaterial is applied by the operator, who alights on the same side of themachine, and the bindingrope is then released, the binding-blockreadjusted, and the crane returned to aproper position over the machinefor the purpose of forming another shock. The operation can be readilycarried on in succession, and it will be understood that all the partsare readj usted in accordance with the primary predetermined gagerequired at each time the crane is swung back over the frame.

By having the cutting devices arranged on opposite sides of the front ofthe frame a turning of the machine to either the right or that theshocks be deposited with regularity,

and at the same time the crane swings over either side of the machine todeposit the shock on the ground the machine is stopped until the partsare again in position for forming another shock. The mechanism is alsoconveniently arranged, so that a driver and one operator are all theattendants necessary to rapidly and successively carry on the harvestingand shocking.

It is obviously apparent that changes in the proportions, dimensions,and minor details of construction and arrangement might be resorted towithout in the least departing from the nature or spirit of theinvention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In acorn harvester and shocker, the combination of a wheeled frame havingcutting devices at the front end thereof, a swinging crane mounted onthe rear part of the frame, a lifting device operated in the said crane,a support adj ustably mounted on the crane and having a bow or former atone end, and a binding-block having links at the rear end removablyengaging holding devices on the said support and having a binding-ropeor analogous device adj ustably attached thereto.

2. In a corn harvester and shocker, the combination of a wheeled framehaving cutters at the front end thereof, a crane adjustably mounted onthe rear portion of said frame and having a forwardly-projecting armwith a sheave or pulley in the outer end thereof and also of itselfhaving a sheave or pulley therein, a rearwardly-extending arm attachedto the said crane and having a windlass and ratchet-and-pawl mechanismattached thereto, a rope or analogous device engaging the said windlassand passing over the sheaves or pulleys and having on the free endthereof engaging hooks, a support adjustably mounted on the said craneand arranged in horizontal position, the free end of said support havinga bow or former thereon, and a binding-block having links at the rearend removably engaging holding devices on said support and having abindingrope adjustably carried thereby.

3. In a corn harvester and shocker, the combination of a wheeled framehaving cutters at the front end thereof, a crane movable on the rearpart of said fralne and consisting of an upright or post with an upwardforwardly-projecting arm, a lifting device adj ustably mounted in thesaid crane, a vertically-alined series of ratchet-teeth on the lowerpart of the upright or post of the crane, a support adjustable on thesaid post or upright of the crane and having a movable IOO IZO

brace/the lower end of said brace being adaptrope adj ustably andmovably attached to ed to engage the said ratchet-teeth, and the thesaid binding-block. xo front end of said support provided with a Intestimony whereof I aix my signature bow or former, a binding-blockremovably in presence of two witnesses.

5 and disconneotibly resting on the said sup- NEWTON DENNING.

port, the said block having links connected to Witnesses: the rear endthereof adapted to engage hold- R. C. HODGE, ing devices on the supportand a binding- W. H. DENNING

